Device for separating water from crude oil



J- L- YANCEY DEVICE FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM CRUDE OIL Filed July 11,1947 Oct. 14, 1952 2 SI-IEETSSI-IEE T l I W \wvvw a l'lllll z m a l v 9m a 2 w w A A a E? vvwvr w 2 M 2 7 I H 7 4 5 4 B I w 3 0 Z Z 5 3 3 II am M 5 ll 6 I 3 w 7 10 7 a I} 2 N Z 4 M 9 2 4 k 0 jse /z Lee Yancey Oct.14, 1952 J; YANCEY- DEVICE FOR SEPARATINGWATER FROM CRUDE OIL 2.SHEETSSHEET 2 Fi-Ied JuIy 11, 1'94? Jo 5226b lee Vkmcey Mowing in Figure1.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 DEVICE FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM CRUDE 01L,Joseph Lee Yancey, Great Bend, Kans.

4 Claims.

1 My invention relates to devices used for the purpose of separatingfree water from crude oil Application July 11, 1947, Serial No. 760,367

and the object of my invention is to provide a device adapted to removethe free water from the crude oil before the oil reaches the treating orrefining system, so that the chemical substances are saved, which areabsorbed by the water and would be lost through the syphoning action,and that the heating of the water is eliminated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated above consisting in a tank provided with one or more inletpipes and with a plumb bob valve, which is located at the bottom of thetank and serves the purpose to permit the water, which settles in thebottom portion of the tank, to flow out of the tank. 7

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated above, the plumb bob valve of which is controlled bytwo cooperating floats, one small float urging the valve permanentlyinto closed position' and a large float adapted to float in water but tosink in oil for opening the valve and permit'the water to flow out ofthe tank.

Other objects of my invention not specifically mentioned may appear inthe following specification describing my invention with reference tothe accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

It is however to be understood, that my invention is not to be limitedor restricted to the exact construction and combination of partsdescribed in the specification and shown in the drawing, but that suchchanges and modifications can be made, which fall within the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

In the several figures of the accompanying drawing forming a part of thedescription similar parts are indicated by similar index characters and1 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the water knock-out accordingto my invention taken on a center plan of said device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 Figure 6 is a detail viewof a cover for a man- .hole'pr-ovid-ed in the lower portion of the tank'f-orming the housing of the water-knock-out according to my invention.

Figure 7-is a detail view of a linkage inserted in the stem of the wateroutlet valve mounted on the bottom-of the water knock-out tank Figure 8is a vertical section through the outlet valve structure.

The water-knock-out forming the subject matter of my inventioncomprisesan upright elongated closed tank 10 forming the housing of thewater-knock-out according to my invention. Y 1

Somewhat below the horizontal center plan of this tank a plurality ofcrude oil-inlet holes II are provided in the wall of the tank [O -andfor each hole a crude oil inlet pipe IZwlS pro;-

vi-ded and is secured coaxially with the correspending hole onto thetank It in any preferred manner; for instanceby welding.

An inlet manifold a, Fig. 4, comprises a. com paratively short centrallylocated vertical pipe 1 l3, and another pipe 14, Fig. l, surrounds thefirst mentioned pipe 13 and is held in coaxial position thereto bymeans. of two annular plates l5 firmly secured to the pipes l3 and [4'at their upper and lower ends. v

The outer pipe M is provided with a plurality of crude oil inlet holesIt, the number of these holes being equal to the number of Oi]. inletholes I l in the tank It).

Into each oil inlet hole It a diametrically extending pipe I! isinserted and firmly] secured therein. In the lowermost portionof eachdiametrical manifold pipe I l a plurality of holes [8 is provided, andthe outer end of eachof the tank Ill, so thatthe pipes I11 are arrangedcoaxially with the crude oil inlet holes H in the tank I0.

Thecrude oil fed into the inlet pipes 12 is distributed over the entiresurface of the bottom of the tank It! through the distribution holes l8.

Water being heavier than oil, the free water in the'crude oil willsettle at the bottom of the tank In and the oil proper will'rise towardthe top of the tank. The water is removed fromthe tank Ill in thefollowing manner.

On the bottom of the tank a plumbbob typ valve F9 is enclosed within ahousing 19a, which has a side opening I'9b communicating with theinterior of thetank and a seat I 90, for the valve;

which opens through its bottom in line with a wardly extending controlstem. 2! and a concrude the tank and coaxially with an small float 22 israised upwardly by the water in the bottom of the tank I I].

On the upper end of the control stem 21 a linkage 23 is mounted,connecting said stem with afloat rod 24 extending upwardly through theinner short pipe I 3 of the crude oil inlet manifold and secured withits upper end'to the bottom of a comparatively large hollow float 2,5which is adapted to be weighted, for instance by mercury, so that itfloats in water but sinks in oil.

In the bottom of the large float 25 a short drain pipe 26, closed by aremovableplug 21 is arranged. A hand hole 28 in the tank It per,- mitsaccess to said drain plug, so that some of the mercury can be drawn outof the large float 25 to lighten the same. The hand hole 28 isclosedbymeans of a hand hole cover 29 of conventional construction.

fA -guide pipe 3t-is fastened to the top of the large float 25; so-"thatit extends upwardly from and coaxiallywith said float and communicateswith the interior thereof.

Adjacent to'the top of the tank It, Fig. l, a draw-oflmanifoldb isarranged. This draw-off manifold is constructed similar to the crude-oilinlet manifold a. It consists of a pluralityiof horizontal draw-offpipes 3|, which are fastened It; so that 'each pipe extendsdiametrically to f oils-outlet 11 16.32 provided in the wall of thetank.

TIh nne d of he dra man ld pi e 3] are secured in holes 33, Fig. 1,provided in a vertically arranged comparatively short outer pipe 34.Aninner .pipe 35 is secured to the outer .pipe 34 in coaxial positiontherewith by means oi, annular plates 36 fastened to the ends of theinner and outer pipes 35 and 34. 7

Each draw-off manifold pipe 3! is provided with aplurality of oil intakeholes, and coaxially with ea'choil-outlet hole 32 an oil-outlet pipe 38is secured to the tank I I] and is equipped .with

a' pressure regulating valve 39. These oil outlet pipeslead to the washtank (not shown). The valve .39 is adapted to be adjusted to any pres.-

.sureup to 'flfty pounds, enabling the operator to force the waterup-grade if necessary to reach .the gathering pit (not shown).

'Iheiguidefpipe 35 extends sl'idably through the inner pipe 35 ofthedraw-ofif manifold b so that the large float 25 is guided by thisguide pipe 30 and the float rod 24 in its up and down movement. Theupwardmovement of the large float '25 may be selectively limited bymeans of a :lock

nut 40 provided on the float rod 24 and the'downwardmovement ofsaidfloat is limited by means of metal brackets 4| secured on top of theinlet manifold pipes IT. This prevents the weight of the large float 25to rest on the plumb bob type valve l9. 1

The float 25 is large enough torestrict the rise of the fluid in thetank), a condition adapted to help to'knock out the excess vwater fromthe 'oiland cause it to settle in the bottom portion of the tank It,Thecil rises slowly around the with their outer ends on the inside ofthe tank .float 25 to the top of the tank In and the drawconstruction.

Adjacent to the bottom of the tank In a manhole 45 is provided closed bya removable manhole cover 46.

The linkage -23 permits the large float to move upwardly and downwardlyto a certain degree Without influencing the opening or closing of theplumb bob valve I9, which will be opened only when the upward movementof the large float excedes this degree. The linkage 23 absorbs also anyrotary movement of the large float 25 caused by the swirling motion ofthe oil rising about the float.

The manhole 45 permits the cleaning and ad.-

justing of the lock nut to, the linkage 2,3, the I small float 22, andthe plumb bob valve I9. The latter is constructed, so that thewaterflows atall times over the valve stem ZI. 'In

case the leverof the small float 22 should be disengaged accidentallyfrom the valve stem, the water pressure and the weight-of the valvestem2| will close the valve and prevent oil from en.- tering the water line.

Having described my invention I claim as-new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:'

1. Inadevice for separating water from crude oil, an upright cylindricaltank, an oil intake manifold extending through the diam-etral center ofthe tank and having downwardlydirected discharge apertures spaced alongits lower side, a water outlet in thebottom of the tank; avalve elementnormally closing said outlet, afloat controlling said valve andeffecting closing 0f the same upon a predetermined rise in-thelevel ofthe water, a stem rising from said valve, a second float within the tank'abovesaid manifold, aguide rod depending from said second float, a linkcoupling between the ends of said stem and the guiderod to allow for alimited movement of said'second float relatively to the first float,said second heat being of a specific gravity whereby it will sink'in oiland be raised by water, a guide element rising from the upper side ofsaid second float, guide means cooperative with said guide rod and theguide element for maintaining said second float concentric with respectto the side wall :of the tank-and a second manifold extend.- ing throughthe upper end of the tank diametrically thereof for discharging theseparated "oil from the tank, said second manifold having downwardlydirected inlet apertures spaced along its'lower side.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, with the said second float of adiameter but slightly less than that of the interior of the tank so asto restrict the-rise of the crude oil past the same and thus aid in theseparation of the water therefrom, and the said guide element is oftubular form for the introduction of a weighting fluid into the secondfloat to equalize its specific gravity with that of the first float. I3. The invention asdeflned in claim l,'with the said manifolds eachcomprised in several tubular sections 'sp-acedly radiating from acentral cylincircling the open center within the sameinto' which theinner ends of the tubular sections open and the outer ends thereofthrough the side wall of the tank, said cylindrical members constitutingthe aforesaid guide means for the said guide rod and guide element whichslidably project through the said open centers.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, with a cylindrical housingsupported on the bottom of the tank within the same and enclosing saidvalve, the housing having an opening in its side Wall communicating withthe interior of the tank and a seat for the valve opening through itsbottom in line with the Water outlet, a second rod rising from saidvalve alongside sai-d stem and projecting through the top of thehousing, an arm extending from the first float and pivotally mounted onthe top of the housing intermediate its ends, and a pivot connectionbetween the projecting end of said second rod and the free end of saidarm.

JOSEPH LEE YANCEY.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 569,345 McBrideOct. 13, 1896 690,986 Neely Jan. 14, 1902 924,524 Zerkowitz June 8, 190910 1,201,558 Cobb Oct. 17, 1916 1,350,151 Gillis Aug. '17, 19201,459,486 Whitney et a1 June 19, 1923 1,741,187 Fuqua Dec. 31, 19291,750,490 Pippin Mar. '11, 1930 15 1,761,743 Petersen June 3, 19301,948,543 Samiran Feb. 27, 1934 2,001,809 Worthington May 21, 19352,206,835 Combs July 2, '1940 2,338,986 Waterman Jan. 11, 1944 202,401,067 Granberg May 28, 1946

